Decomposition of Fe–(6–20) at.% Mo alloys

Binary iron alloys containing 6, 10, 15 and 20 at.% Mo were investigated. It was found that the “ordering–phase separation” transition is a time depending process: at the beginning of isothermal aging at 550 °C, a modulated structure is formed in the solid solution as a result of the tendency toward phase separation; with time, Fe2Mo particles precipitate in the modulated structure dissolving as a result of the tendency toward ordering. Further aging at 550 °C leads to the complete dissolution of the modulated structure and Fe2Mo particles remain the only phase precipitated in the solid solution.